3 things to report today.
1st, Greg M, reported that on the 7th June, 2013, he personally handed Chief Administrator Sara Dunne his 2nd appeal for his discharge from the home. Greg is Appealing the discharge he got on 10 October 2012, when he lost his focus and his temper when the Home put a towing ticket on his car when it was parked in front of the Rankin Building when the member parking places were being taken up by staff members. Instead of verbally expressing his anger, he did so in writing so the home discharged him. - More Greyhound Therapy (shifting the problems to another source instead of dealing with them properly themselves.)
2nd, Today It was reported to me, that the there was a board of managers meeting. Greg was not informed, nor did he get the opportunity to address his second appeal. This is seen by Greg as another example of the Home denying him due process.
But more importantly it was reported by 2 people who attended the meeting, that a man spoke up to the board about concerns some members who belong to the Non Profit group Veterans for Justice had about the way the home was being operated.
It was reported to me by both people, that James Dunne, Chief of Staff of the board of managers, replied "If they do not like it, they can leave".
No room for discussion here, no invitation for concerned veterans to come to the board meetings and voice their concerns. James reply was clear: " Put up or shut up". Even people in prison have a right to speak up. But not our Veterans.
How this man can be an advocate for veterans at the home with that kind of attitude, is beyond my ability to understand.
Tell me James Dunne, where are these veterans going to go? Many are there because they have no were else to go. The Home's original purpose was to get veterans off the street, and out of the poor houses, yet you want to use Grey Hound Therapy and send more to the streets.
So lets see, at least 5 former residents of Grand Rapids home for Veterans have died on the streets and in the fields surrounding Grand Rapids, so far this year. And you want to add to that number?!
Where is the professionalism? James claims the home gives excellent health care, and I called him to the table with that lie, here on the blog.
James Dunne has yet again clearly and blatantly dishonored our veterans who live at the facility.He has made it clear that they have no voice in how the home is being run, nor do the board members care what the veterans think. He is helping to make the home into a prison for these souls who put their lives on the line for this country.
James Dunne needs to be removed from his job and replaced with someone who cares about the veterans. His attitude towards the concerns of the resident veterans is proof why Congress McGreggor's proposal of an independent ombudsman/representative for the resident veterans is needed so badly.
It is clear by the historical record that James Dunne is NOT a veteran who is for Veterans. I have no idea what his true purpose is, but caring for our veterans obliviously is not part of his goals.
If the state of Michigan is going to run its veterans home like this, it might as well shut it down and save taxpayers millions of dollars.. and it can go down in history as the first state to totally shun its veterans.
3rd, it is also being reported that Chief of Staff James Dunn stated that he would like to see every post commander (VFW) to contact their state representatives to support the current ombudsman, Earnie Meyers, who is a member of the board and is ineffectual and does not represent the need of the veterans at the home, to remain as such and not bring in an independent outside person. I guess James Dunn does not want the rest of the state to know what is really going on at the home.
Earnest Meyers was appointed the veterans home ombudsman in response to State Congressman Peter McGreggor's attempt to get an independent advocate for the veterans at the home.
Earnest Meyers is available to the residents of the home for a limited time on the days the home hosts the monthly board of managers meetings - about 10 days out of the year.
UPDATE: I am being told this was NOT an open board meeting, but rater a closed door session. We need to find out what it really was.
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